SINSHEIM, Germany (Interstat) — Bazoumana Touré scored in the 26th minute and Hoffenheim held on despite being reduced to 10 men for nearly the entire match, beating Werder Bremen 1-0 on Saturday at PreZero Arena in the Bundesliga season opener.

Touré’s goal came after a series of passes in the box, with assists credited to defender Bernardo and substitutes Cameron Puertas and Justin Njinmah. The strike was the only shot to beat either goalkeeper on a day dominated by early drama and late discipline.

The tone was set in the fifth minute when Hoffenheim defender Yukinari Sugawara received a direct red card for a challenge, forcing the home side to play the rest of the match a man down. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Hoffenheim’s defense stood firm and limited Werder Bremen to few clear chances.

The match’s first caution arrived in the 41st minute, when Puertas was booked. Bernardo was shown a yellow card in the 66th minute, and Njinmah followed with another in the 88th minute. Werder Bremen could not find an equalizer and finished without a goal.

Hoffenheim opened its season with a win in both Bundesliga and all competitions, moving to 1-0-0. Werder Bremen fell to 0-1-0 across the board.

The victory came despite projections that favored the visitors. Interstat’s game simulator had forecast a 2-1 win for Werder Bremen. The Interstat ELO system, however, gave Hoffenheim a 63.70 percent probability of winning before kickoff.